Borough

Throughout the period Dover, the largest of the Cinque Ports, displayed remarkable independence of the government interest. In 1660 Edward Montagu I was entrusted with the writ; but the gallant admiral’s return was by no means plain sailing. The jurats expressed delight at the honour intended for the borough, but could not conceal that ‘some less considerate persons may be somewhat pre-engaged’. His chief rival was Arnold Braemes, a local gentleman who had been an active Cavalier, but eventually they seem to have agreed to join their interests.

The corporation interest at York seems to have been fairly consistently hostile to the Stuarts during this period, even after the drastic purge of 1662, but this could be to some extent counterbalanced by the influence of the high steward and the governor.It was expected that John Hewley, an Independent lawyer who was counsel to the corporation, would stand in 1660, but Sir George Savile was told that he would not have prevailed against the successful candidates.

The bailiff, who acted as returning officer at Thirsk, was chosen in the manorial court of the earls of Derby. But during this period control passed to the principal local landowner, Sir William Frankland of Thirkleby. The other major interest was held by his brother-in-law Viscount Fauconberg.

Evidence was given to the elections committee in 1736 that the franchise at Scarborough had changed in 1670. Previously it had been confined to the corporation, which under the charter of 1632 consisted of two bailiffs (who acted as returning officers), two coroners, four chamberlains, and 36 common councilmen. The principal interest was held by William Thompson, whose family had long served on the corporation, and acquired property in the town.

The archbishop of York’s liberty of Ripon, which in normal times commanded one seat, was purchased at the sale of church lands by the Fairfax family. The other principal interest in this period was held by Edmund Jennings, who lived in the town. Though a staunch Anglican, he led the resistance to the archbishop’s efforts to reassert his authority after the Restoration and could usually rely on the corporation interest. Under the Jacobean charter the corporation consisted of the mayor, who acted as returning officer, 12 aldermen, 24 assistants, the recorder and the town clerk.

Under the charter of 1577 the corporation of Richmond consisted of the alderman, who acted as returning officer, 12 ‘head burgesses’, and the recorder. The franchise was vested in the ‘burgesses’, a term not defined until 1679; it is possible that before the charter of 1668 it was exercised only by the corporation, including an unspecified number of common councilmen. The dominant interest in the period was exercised by the royalist Darcy family of Hornby Castle, stewards of the liberty from 1661.

Despite the resolution of the Commons in 1624 awarding the franchise at Pontefract to the inhabitant householders, in practice it was restricted to those who occupied recognized ‘burgage land’. The corporation, consisting of the mayor, who acted as returning officer, 12 ‘comburgesses’ or aldermen, and the recorder, was unable to exercise an effective interest in this period, and all the candidates were West Riding gentry except Patience Ward, a younger son of the most numerous and powerful family in the town who had made good as a London merchant.

The most important local family at Northallerton were the Lascelles; but the involvement of Francis Lascelles in the trial of Charles I meant that for most of the period their interest had to be exercised covertly. After the return of the episcopal estates, the bishop of Durham became lord of the manor, and the bailiff, who acted as returning officer, was chosen in his manorial court. This interest could not be exercised in the general election of 1660, when Lascelles and his brother Thomas were returned, nor at the by-election held after he was discharged from sitting.

The principal interests at Malton, a borough by prescription, belonged to the Eure and Hebblethwaite families. The widow and daughters of Colonel William Eure held the manors of Old and New Malton, and claimed the right to appoint the returning officer, while the Hebblethwaites lived at Norton, just outside the borough.

The franchise at Knaresborough was derived from the burgage tenements, variously estimated from 82 to 88; but plural voting was not allowed, and during this period temporary transfers for electoral purposes became the practice. The strongest burgage interest was held by William Stockdale, who represented the borough throughout the period.